Considering my wife and I had a four month engagement, we didn’t have lots of time to visit bridal boutiques beforehand. I ordered my suit online and had alterations, and Beth was fortunate that her favourite bridal designer had her dream dress in her size. Yet for anybody looking for their dream wedding gown you could definitely use some tips for your bridal appointment in Kent.

I sat down with Hannah & Megan at Vicki’s Bridal Boutique in Tenterden and found their tips for your bridal appointment in Kent.

Vicki’s Bridal Boutique in Tenterden, Kent

Hello Hannah & Megan! So, What does an ideal bridal appointment look like at Vicki’s bridal?

An appointment at Vicki’s Bridal Boutique is extremely relaxed. We welcome our brides and their guests and just chat about all things dresses and weddings. It is so important to us that our brides feel comfortable and relaxed during the appointment with us, so we like to take our time explaining a bit about each of our designers and what they offer.

The bride gets full rain of the collection and gets to choose whatever they like. We offer full shop exclusivity, so the brides and their guests get the whole boutique to themselves for 90 minutes.

Once dresses have been chosen we head to the fitting room and begin to try the styles on. We allow brides to take photos and we go back and forth with the dress until we get a shortlist of favourites. We then take the time revisiting these and play dress up with veils and accessories until the bride finds THE DRESS!!!

What are your thoughts on brides having two dresses for their wedding day?

We think this is something we will start to see more and more this year! Especially as the mini dresses are starting to trend and a lot of celebrities are having multiple dresses. We love it and think it’s a great way to change up a bride’s look throughout the day.

I myself (Megan) am getting married next year and will be having multiple outfits. However it is not essential. And not always realistic when it comes to budget. The second dresses, especially the Minis, are not always much cheaper than the first dress, so it is something to bare in mind. Your wedding dress is such a special purchase and will hold so many memories that when it comes to the day you won’t want to take it off.

Can you share any success stories or memorable experiences you’ve had helping brides find their dream dress?

Oh we have had so many!

Last year I had a bride come to me, getting married in just 2 months (less than you Beth & Tom!)! She had a dress already but since having her baby just 8 weeks before her body had changed and the original dress just didn’t fit the same anymore.

There was a dress she saw online that we stocked in the shop. She loved everything about it! With short time frames we are very limited to what dresses we can get that are made to order, in time, so we had no choice but to offer her a dress of the rack. When it came to her appointment, the dress she saw online was a PERFECT fit! She was over the moon! She didn’t live locally but we were able to fit her in with our seamstress to have some minor tweaks and a change of the sleeves in time for her wedding day.

When her wedding day came around the dress was perfection. It was everything she always wanted! Our jobs come with many perks, but when we are able to help a bride and make her dream come true, it’s a whole other level.

Is picking dresses to show each bride a little bit like Olivanders in Harry Potter? I.e, the dress chooses the bride!

Actually YES! As a whole brides tend to go with something completely different to what they thought they would go for. Wild card dresses are a firm favourite at Vicki’s Bridal Boutique and we love it when a bride steps out of their comfort zone.

We allow our brides to choose whatever they want to try on and before their appointment they get sent an enquiry form where we ask them to shortlist some dresses from our website that they like the look of. And when it comes to trying them on there is a moment a bride has that just feels different to everything else they have tried. Their body language changes and although it sounds cheesy, they get a glow about them. We could have a dress that has been tried on by 100s of brides but never gets picked but it just takes that one bride, and it was like the dress was made for them.

What advice do you have for brides who are feeling overwhelmed or stressed about finding the right dress for their big day?

Ooo great question! Firstly it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed, it is an important decision to make and something you look back on forever! Plus unless you are me or Hannah, it is not everyday you get to try wedding dresses on. The best thing a bride can do is research. When it comes to dress shopping, there are so many options out there and it can feel overwhelming of where to start.

Our biggest piece of advice is to research before shopping. Research the shops you like the look of. Look at what they stock, their location, the ethos of the shop, their price points. Follow them on social media and see if you get a good feel. Read reviews. Select boutiques because you want to visit not because you feel like you have to. You need to go to a boutique that stocks the type of styles you like and are within your budget.

Dress shopping should be an experience. You should look back on your journey and remember how you felt in the moment and the memories you made. The more research you do the better your journey will be.

Final thoughts after all these tips for your bridal appointment

Brides choose their dress for a reason and that dress will find you! Promise! Also don’t be afraid to find your dress at the first shop. It happens more than you think.

We have so many posts with advice and our top tips for your bridal appointment in Kent. Lots are on our Instagram page, so definitely have a look over there @vickbride

All the best, Tom Keenan Photography, Kent Wedding Photographer